HARRISBURG, Pa. — Harrisburg International Airport brings in roughly 50,000 tons of cargo each year, but a new expansion could add to that total and bring jobs with it.
HIA is currently undergoing an expansion of its cargo apron to accommodate an additional three cargo planes to add to its current capacity of four.
The airport says it currently does not have enough capacity to receive the amount of shipments it gets, and the expansion is necessary to ensure more cargo comes to central Pennsylvania.
"We want to keep as much of the region's business here at Harrisburg as we can versus having it driven away to other airports," airport spokesperson Scott Miller said. "Right now a certain portion of the region's cargo has to be trucked to Washington or Philadelphia or places like that and put on an aircraft because we don't have enough capacity here."
The expansion is currently in its second phase and involves making sure stormwater can be properly drained before putting in concrete and replacing what is currently grass near the runway.
"What we're doing this summer is we are continuing running drainage lines from the river to the site of the expanded cargo apron," Miller explained. "So that work's gonna get done this summer underground. And then next summer, we'll be adding five acres of concrete so we can park three more large cargo aircraft here on the apron at Harrisburg International Airport."
Miller says the expansion should increase the airport's cargo intake by 30% and bring more jobs to the area as a result.
"It creates more jobs for people that are in the area full-time or part-time, and makes it more efficient to get cargo in and out of the region," Miller said.
The project costs roughly $37.5 million, with most of it coming from federal grants through the bipartisan infrastructure bill of 2021. It is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving of 2025.